


How To Cheer Someone Up In One Easy Step

by TheStoryFiend



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Fluff, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 12:08:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2850311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheStoryFiend/pseuds/TheStoryFiend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose has been seeming sad ever since she and the Doctor left Mickey behind in the alternate universe, so the Doctor decided to cheer her up. (Post Age of Steel) A secret santa gift for tumblr user the-universe-is-limitless.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How To Cheer Someone Up In One Easy Step

When in doubt, skip directly to Christmas.

This was a trick the Doctor had found useful in a number of situations, especially when cheering people up. And he had never seen anyone in such need of cheering up as Rose.

She just hadn’t been acting herself ever since they’d been to the alternate universe and Mickey had left. The Doctor decided not to read too much into that. Rose was definitely not upset over losing Mickey. They had broken it off, hadn’t they? Whatever “it” was in the first place. No, she was probably just upset about her parents. And so he was going to take her to Christmas.

***

Time was a tricky thing on the TARDIS. Rose never quite knew how long she had been sleeping, or what time it was when she got up.

“It’s whatever time you want, Rose,” the Doctor would usually tell her, which of course was so helpful. If he was in a talkative mood, he’d try to explain the actual science behind it, which was even worse. Therefore, she had stopped bothering to ask at all.

That particular morning (she had decided that she would refer to whenever she got up as ‘morning’) she walked into the door that usually lead to the galley expecting to find the galley. Instead, she found a christmas tree farm.

“Doctor!” she called. Rose was most definitely not a morning person, and finding ten maturing fir trees instead of a cup of coffee in no way helped her mood.

“What?” he called from the console room.

“There are trees in the galley!” she shouted.

“Oh, right!” She heard some scuffling and clanging as he climbed out from underneath the TARDIS console grating. “Sorry about that! The galley’s shifted down two doors. Probably should’ve warned you. Or put a sign up. In my defence, I’m very busy.”

He walked up beside her.

“Right this way, Miss Tyler,” he said with a bow, extending his arm. She raised an eyebrow at him but took it anyways.

“So what, exactly, are you so busy with that you’d separate me from my morning coffee for it?” she asked him.

“It’s a surprise,” he answered with a wink.

“And since when do you have a christmas tree farm on here?” she inquired.

“Ehm… A while,” he said, rubbing his neck in that way he did when he was lying.

“So, last night, then,” she teased him.

“Actually, since we’re in the time vortex, there’s no such thing as night. In fact - ”

Rose cut him off before he could go any farther.

“Look, I know you’re very proud of being so smart, but honestly all I want right now is a coffee and some breakfast,” she informed him.

“Right. Of course. Here.” He held open the door to the galley, where a full breakfast was already on the table.

“Is that a Christmas cracker?” Rose asked, pointing to the brightly colored object on the table.

The Doctor whisked it out of sight.

“I haven’t the slightest clue what you’re talking about, Rose Tyler. Eat your breakfast. We have things to do, places to go, people to see!” He twirled around, arms spread wide, somehow managing not to knock anything over, and raced out of the galley.

Choosing to ignore his strange mood, Rose sat down to breakfast.

When she had finished, she walked to the console room, nursing a coffee. Or rather, she would’ve walked to the console room if she could’ve found it.

“Doctor! Since when is there a door here?” she shouted.

“Since I put one there!” came the reply from inside. “Honestly, Rose, it’s like you’re trying to spoil the surprise!”

“What surprise? What is going on?” she asked, bewildered, just as the door opened up and a beaming Doctor bounded out.

“Okay, it’s all ready. Come in,” he said, ushering her in.

Rose gasped. The console was garlanded with ribbons and fairy lights. Holly boughs and wreaths were hung rather haphazardly around the room, and sitting in state on the grating was a Christmas tree, hung with ornaments and candy canes.

“This one won’t tear through walls, I’m fairly certain,” he told her with a smile.

“Oh my gosh, Doctor,” Rose said, awestruck. “This is amazing.”

“You like it?” he asked her, pleased.

“It’s… it’s… I don’t even know what to say.” She smiled widely. “This is incredible.”

“I’m glad you like it.” He smiled back. “Oh! And look under the tree.”

“Presents?” Rose felt like she was seven again, waiting breathlessly for Christmas to arrive and waking up early with all the excitement.

Sure enough, under the tree there were two bulky packages wrapped with festive paper.

“That wrapping job is far too good for you to have done it yourself, Doctor,” Rose said. “Did the TARDIS help you out?”

“Oi! I’ll have you know that I’m an excellent present wrapper!” he protested, but the TARDIS hummed loudly. “Okay, yes, she did give me some help.”

Rose smiled at the ship and patted one of the coral struts. “Thank you,” she told it.

“Alright, now, open the lovely TARDIS-wrapped presents,” he urged her.

She tore the open eagerly and found a warm parka and a pair of thick winter boots.

“What’s all this for?” she enquired.

“Well, where we’re going today, there’s quite a lot of deep snow. I thought you might like to bundle up.”

“And where are we going today?”

“The winter festival of Cademcalus! You know, they make jewelry out of the snow there. Would you like some?” He ran to the door and threw it open, and a blast of icy air rushed in.

Shivering and laughing with excitement, Rose ran to get dressed in her new cold weather gear. The Doctor was waiting for her in the console room, wearing his customary trainers and long coat.

“Aren’t you going to be cold?” she asked him, looping her arm through his.

“Superior Time Lord biology,” he reminded her, just a bit smug. She poked him in the side in return and stuck out her tongue.

“No need to brag,” she told him.

Arm in arm, they walked out into the wintery wonderland outside.

“Merry Christmas, Rose Tyler,” the Doctor told her.

“Merry Christmas to you too, Doctor.”

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas to everyone!


End file.
